Memories Of The Way We Were …
Today wasn’t my usual work day. Instead of processing all of the invoices, keying entries, writing checks and handling things in Accounting, I was sent out to help the family of this company that I work for. It seems that the elderly gentleman in the family has been moved to a retirement/assisted living home. This gentleman once owned the company but passed it down to the next generation who has now passed it down to the next generation as well. While I did not have the pleasure of working with this now elderly gentleman, I have heard a lot about him through the years since I did work for this family owned company. I have worked with and for this elderly gentleman’s son as well as now working for his grandsons.
What could this family possibly need my help with outside of work in the office? Since the elderly gentleman has moved, his home is no longer occupied so his son and grandsons have been going through his belongings in an effort to downsize and eventually sell the home. While going through his things, the family stumbled upon moments in time that were captured in the form of pictures, letters, poems, postcards, and cards. It is their desire to preserve these things, thus the reason they called me to help scan in all of these memories.
I will be honest and say that this hasn’t been an easy task today as there are a LOT of things to scan in. I will literally be at this for days on end, and I’m not even sure I’ll be finished after the three days they’ve asked me to commit to for this project. Greg recently wrote about capturing pictures and how he jokingly refers to me as The Picture Queen, but honestly, I think this gentleman (or his wife) have me beat! They had so many photo albums and scrapbooks piled high for me to scan! You can look at it like there’s so much work, how will I ever get through this … OR you can look at it like a privilege to be allowed to be a part of preserving cherished memories! I am choosing to view it in that light. It changes everything when you change your view of things. It truly does make a difference.
And so I set out on my journey of preserving memories.
I came across pictures of this family through the years, which is honestly what I had expected when I started. However, I came across things that thrilled and fascinated me completely, too!
A lot of the information written on the pages of the scrapbooks and photo albums were written in German! Since the pages were literally falling apart in my hands, I had to take each picture off of the page and place it carefully onto the glass of the scanner. I also had to write a caption taken from the words written on the scrapbook pages and place it on the glass of the scanner as well so the family would be able to identify with the people, places, and things in the pictures when they take a walk down memory lane by going through all of these files after I’ve completed this task.
In addition to the pictures, there were pages of poems that were also written in German, as well as letters … oh the letters that this individual wrote and received! There were cards mixed in as well, but it was the letters that struck me the most. The date was written so eloquently at the top, almost in Calligraphy. I remember sitting back in the chair marveling at this dirty piece of paper when I realized the date across the top! It was the year 1918. I’m not kidding you. That was one of the dates in the papers that I scanned today. Isn’t it amazing that I held a piece of history in my hands? While I’m not sure what those German words were saying, I can imagine in my mind a love letter just pouring their hearts out to the love of their lives; their soul mates. I can imagine the letters being written during a war as they were clinging to the other person miles and states away while they served our country. While they were facing the enemy head on with their weapons and fighting for their lives and our freedom, they paused for a moment to share their written words with the one that they loved with their entire being. And I … I had the privilege of preserving these moments today!
There was an artist in the family as I found numerous drawings from this individual. One drawing in particular caught my eye as I reached for the clipping out of the magazine. Just as I reached to place it on the glass, the drawing from underneath it was revealed. In all of it’s beauty and glory, there was the picture that this individual had drawn based on the clipping from the magazine. This person had talent! I smiled as I marveled at every line from his pencil, the way it was shaded in and how smoothly it transitioned into the next line to form the perfect picture!
Why am I telling you all of this today? Because one of these days someone will be going through OUR things to see what treasures we have left behind. Will our families wish to preserve our memories? Will our families soak in all of the beauty and wonder of journals that we have left behind, or will they cringe at the words that jump off of the page at them? Will they consider it an honor to read your words, thinking of them as simply beautiful, passionate, and so full of life? Or will they close the book never to open it again?
One of these days we are all just going to be a memory … will you be a good one? I certainly hope that my family and friends will remember me with such a warm feeling in their hearts and feel that I’ve touched their lives in a good and positive manner when my time on earth is no more and I’ve gone to be with Jesus. I hope that they will search my house for treasures left behind in the form of poems, hand written letters, and yes, pictures … lots and lots of pictures. I hope they will cherish them as much as I did while penning them or capturing those moments with my camera.
I desire to live a good life and show my family and friends how much they mean to me. I don’t want to reserve this for a special occasion to tell them “then” of how I feel. No, I want to live it to the fullest each and every day not letting a single minute go by without them knowing in their hearts how I feel about them. I want them to know … and I want them to FEEL it! Long after I’m gone, I want them to still feel me with them in their hearts … I want to love that strongly, that completely, that passionately that they forever feel me with them and a part of their lives.
This gentleman traveled the world … literally. There were two photo albums packed full of postcards from different places that he had traveled. They weren’t pictures of where he’s been that he’d taken, but instead, they were postcards of these places. Yet, the memories those postcards provoked in him … I’d like to imagine that they still stir in him to this very day. He lived his life. He did the things his heart desired and the proof is within all of the pages of these photo albums and scrap books. He lived … he loved … he did as his heart desired.
Are you living your life to the fullest? There’s so much out there to do and see. Are you doing the things that bring you the most joy? Are you seeing new and exciting places? Are you engaging in things that your heart desires, or are you waiting to do it “one day.” Ah dear one, don’t wait … “one day” may never come. Don’t look back with regrets. When you’re older, like this gentleman, don’t sit there and say, “If only I had …” Go out now and DO it so you’ll have beautiful memories to reflect back on later.
Leave your own mark on the world! Leave your loved ones with fond memories of the way we were!
Do you really listen?
Today my question for you readers is do you listen? Do you really listen or do you just think you listen? I have run into several situations recently that have shown me that people don’t really listen to what others are saying if it is not what they want to hear.
My first encounter with this was at the supermarket. For a little background, this supermarket has a rewards program that lets you get to up 50 cents off of the price of gas depending on the amount you have purchased. An older gentleman was standing taking with the customer service clerk when I walked. He was telling the clerk that the amount on his card was incorrect. After each purchase, your balance is shown on the receipt. The clerk was very nice and told the gentleman that her computer system cannot show his past transactions and that she would give him a phone number to call the central office to get things cleared up. He completely ignored what she said to him and kept going on that his balance was wrong, the program sucked (much stronger words were used), and that he was going to throw the @#!@ card away. Again she repeated what she had said. He kept on with his tirade. This went on for more than five minutes while I was standing there watching the scene unfold. The clerk was wonderful and never got upset with him even though he was irate.
He obviously didn’t want to listen because it wasn’t the result he wanted. He wanted immediate satisfaction no matter what.
My most recent experience with someone not wanting to listen happened this morning at work while I was giving a training session. I was coming towards the end of the training when the boss finally walks in. He sits down and I start to review what we had gone over. All of a sudden, the boss goes off on a tangent that has nothing to do with m y topic. He starts to rant that I should not be doing any programming work to create a better system without being requested to do so. I explained to him that I was given a request and I had completed that task several weeks ago. But he would not listen and kept ranting on this other topic. Several people in the room spoke up about how this feature had gone through company procedure and a formal request was given to me and that I had completed the task. No matter what anyone said, he just kept on and on. It was finally mentioned that the initial request had come from him. That didn’t even stop the ranting. Again, all he was concerned with was what he wanted even if he had no clue as to what had transpired and been accomplished. All this did was to spread a feeling of ill will through all the employees that the meeting.
I try to listen to people when they talk to me. I really try my best to pay attention to what they say. In doing so, I really get to pick up on things and get to know the person more than they realize. Several people have asked me how I am able to come up with such great gifts for people during birthdays and holidays. It is because I listen. People will tell you things about themselves without ever realizing it. You blog hostess can confirm that as we have known each other for over fifteen years and she still seems to get a bit surprised at gifts I come up with for their family.
Many of my friends have gone through a divorce. In watching them interact with their spouses, it is obvious to me that one or both of them don’t listen to what the other is trying to say. They get so wrapped up in what they want, they completely block out the other person. Then they wonder what is going on when problems start.
So I put out another challenge. Think about whether or not you really listen. Start paying attention to what people are saying. Some of my most entertaining moments come from just listening to other people talking while out in public. You just might be surprised what you hear.
~The Quiet Computer Guy
People First
What are the really important things in your life?
Do you place value on material things such as your house, car, or any other worldly possessions?
Do you focus more on making a living or making a life? There is a big difference in the two. Huge, actually!
Don’t get me wrong here. There’s not anything wrong with having nice things if you can afford them. To me, though, worldly possessions have not been high on my list. I’ve gone from not having a whole lot while growing up, to having enough to get by when I was married the first time around. Then just as things seemed like smooth sailing, a divorce was thrust upon me shattering my picture perfect fantasy land fairytale of a life. After that, I worked hard to support my daughter and to ensure that her quality of life did not go down in the least just because my husband left our home. I fought hard to keep that house and the lifestyle we were living. While it wasn’t anything grand, it was OUR house. And, I wanted her to still have the security and stability she had always known.
Then …
Many years later, I got remarried. Money wasn’t scarce like before, and we were able to travel the world, have nice things, and enjoy to the fullest. Still, money does not buy happiness. It never will possess that power. Ever.
I had a nice job and moved up the ladder rather quickly. I had a corner office with a window and an “official” title. Even still, that did not supply the happiness I craved and wanted for my now two daughters in this life. I found out that the nice office and title did nothing for my happiness in life at the hands of people that attempted to tear me down every chance they had. So, I left that job and took a much lesser position actually back where I started out … and guess what? I’m happier than I have been in a very long time!
Some times less really is more!
A lot of people focus on material things, their money, and just feel such power in saying what they “do” for a living. I could care less whether you’re a multi millionaire or have only a penny to your name. I don’t care if you live in a mansion or a run down shack. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a doctor or lawyer OR a school janitor or even a stay-at-home mom taking care of the house and children who sometimes feels inadequate or not good enough (you ARE … by the way, and you have the hardest job of all, sisters!). What matters most in this life are PEOPLE!!! It’s the people you share your life with. It’s people that should always … ALWAYS … come first.
When all of the material things have been stripped away no matter the circumstances or reasons it happens … whether it’s by a natural disaster or due to being in financial ruins due to another divorce …
When that job you worship lays you off or replaces you with someone fresh out of college that looks better on paper than you may … or you simply feel unfulfilled, used and abused and decide to get out while you still can …
WHO is going to be there to wrap their arms around you and tell you that it’s okay and that you’ll get through it … together?
Will you have anyone to stand in the trenches with you?
Do you have someone that you feel safe when their arms envelop you?
Is there any one in your life that possesses the power to where you feel that the storms may rage violently around you, yet you’re protected … safe … and secure.
Everything else can be lost in a single blink of an eye. Money, homes, job security.
Put people first. They are what truly matter in this life. Their love will endure!
